Gangster Batman and Superman

Many comic book fans understand the concept of comic universes, which is something that occurs in a lot of major comic book timelines. It occurs famously in Marvel and DC, and often leads to some great comic book crossover events.In fact, a lot of the time, the alternate universe heroes just look pretty amazing.

Chicago-based painter Steve Seeley created a design for a gangster version of Superman and Batman, and the designs look pretty cool.

The image of Batman as a gangster features Batman in his traditional uniform, with a bandana covering the lower half of his face, and his hand making the “east-side” sign. Batman is superimposed on a classical landscape painting, and the pallet of colors also presents the image of Batman. The shading and details of the image really give a striking impression; the way Batman’s cape is shaded, and especially the way Batman is glaring, make him seem aggressive in much the same way as a gangster is.

Superman’s image is similarly striking. The color pallets for Superman are really well-chosen, and the pose is pretty cool, too. Of course, when you’ve got Superman with a bandana, and the “west side” pose, you can’t help but wonder what he’s planning on doing. The details on both are really cool, and I can see fans wanting or hoping for some kind of story line based on the gangster image.

Either way, the images are very creative, and the designs definitely give Steve Seeley the reputation among nerds that he has. These two are going to be a solo exhibit at the Rotofugi Gallery from September 17 – October 10, 2010.